New website arms consumers with Internet tracking info

Does anybody like companies they don’t know tracking their Internet movements?

If your among the “practically everybody” who doesn’t like this snooping, there’s a new site for you. RespectMyDNT.org (DNT means Do Not Track) was launched today by Consumer Action.

The site will provide educational information, including how to protect yourself from third-party advertisers tracking your movements. It also will keep consumers updated with legislation to protect their online privacy.

Michelle De Mooy, a senior associate with Consumer Action, said most people expect when they go to a website that it might follow you as you navigate its pages. But people don’t expect the hundreds of other companies “recording every click you take and where you go,” she said.

De Mooy said consumers have a right to privacy, but there is little protection against this tracking. The site will also provide information on how to contact your members of Congress if you want them to support legislation to protect Internet privacy, she said.

Funding for the site came from a grant from Microsoft. De Mooy said there were no strings attached, and noted that Microsoft made “Do Not Track” the default option on its latest Explorer browser.